1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a fishing reel, more particularly to a swing arm device for a fishing reel, which can be operated smoothly.
2. Description of the Related Art
Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a conventional fishing reel is shown to include a reel body 11, a main shaft 12, a spool 13, a swing arm device 20, and a driving tube 30. The driving tube 30 is provided with a fixed bevel gear 31 that engages a threaded end portion 121 of the main shaft 12 so as to transfer the rotation of the driving tube 30 to the main shaft 12 and subsequently to the spool 13. The swing arm device 20 includes a swing arm 21, a sleeve 22, a driving shaft 23, and a bolt 24. The sleeve 22 is sleeved fixedly on the driving shaft 23. The driving shaft 23 has a hexagonal cross-section, and is engaged within a hexagonal cross-sectioned hole in the driving tube 30, thereby permitting synchronous rotation of the driving shaft 23 and the driving tube 30. The bolt 24 retains the driving shaft 23 on the body 11. As such, the rotation of the swing arm 21 can be transferred to the spool 13. However, because clearance is inevitably present between the driving shaft 23 and the driving tube 30, when the swing arm 21 is actuated, the driving shaft 23 moves radially within the driving tube 30, thereby resulting in unsmooth operation of the swing arm 20.
An object of this invention is to provide a fishing reel with an improved swing arm device, which can be operated smoothly.
According to this invention, a fishing reel includes a reel body, a main shaft, a spool, a driving tube, and a swing arm device. The swing arm device includes a swing arm, a driving shaft journalled in the body, and a sleeve unit journalled on the body and disposed around the driving shaft. Each of the driving shaft and the sleeve unit has an end that is coupled to and that is rotatable with the swing arm. The driving shaft has a polygonal cross-section, and extends into a polygonal-cross-sectioned hole in the driving tube. The driving tube has an end surface, which is formed with several tongues that engage respectively and fittingly several grooves in the sleeve unit, thereby transferring smoothly the rotation of the driving shaft to the driving tube.